Boris Johnson must do more to get office workers back at their desks, a senior business leader says today.

Carolyn Fairbairn warns commercial centres risk being permanent ‘ghost towns’.

Writing in the Mail, the director-general of the CBI says getting staff back into offices and workplaces is as important as the return of pupils to school.

‘The UK’s offices are vital drivers of our economy,’ says Dame Carolyn, who speaks for almost 200,000 firms. ‘They support thousands of local firms, from dry cleaners to sandwich bars. They help train and develop young people. And they foster better work and productivity for many kinds of business.

‘The costs of office closure are becoming clearer by the day. Some of our busiest city centres resemble ghost towns, missing the usual bustle of passing trade. This comes at a high price for local businesses, jobs and communities.’

Dame Carolyn’s intervention will pressure the Prime Minister to match his rhetoric on the need to return to school with similar words – and action – about workplaces.